Portable thermal treatment and storage units for containing readily accessible food or beverage items and methods for thermally treating food or beverage items

ABSTRACT

A portable thermal treatment and storage unit includes a housing with a thermal treatment chamber, and a support member secured to the housing and including a plurality of openings to receive and support food or beverage items such that a substantial portion of each of the food or beverage items is disposed within the housing chamber. Ports are disposed on at least one of the housing and support member. The ports provide a flow path between the chamber and an environment surrounding the unit to facilitate a flow of air into the housing, through the chamber, and out of the housing. The unit is insulated and configured to selectively open and close at least one port to limit or prevent the flow of air into the housing and through the chamber such that, when the at least one port is opened, the unit facilitates heat transfer between the flowing air and the food or beverage items supported by the support member so as to change the temperature of the food or beverage items. When the at least one port is closed, the unit insulates the food or beverage items to maintain the food or beverage items within a selected temperature range for a selected time period.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority from the following U.S. ProvisionalPatent Application Ser. Nos.: 60/697,984, entitled “Refrigeration Unitfor Food Service Portion Cups and Process Thereof”, and filed Jul. 12,2005; 60/697,985, entitled “Refrigeration Unit for Making SlushBeverages Without a Slush Machine, and Process Thereof”, and filed Jul.12, 2005; 60/697,986, entitled “Portable Refrigeration Unit With ReadyAccess”, and filed Jul. 12, 2005; and 60/702,298, entitled “PortableInsulation Unit for Partially Frozen Beverages With Ready Access”, andfiled Jul. 26, 2005. The disclosures of these provisional patentapplications are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention pertains to a portable unit for thermally treatingand/or maintaining food or beverage items at desired temperatures forselect periods of time. The present invention further pertains tomethods for thermally treating food or beverage items to achieve adesired temperature and partially frozen state for such items.

2. Description of the Related Art

Many foodservice operations offer individual containers of food orbeverage items requiring continuous freezing or refrigeration at thepoint of service to the consumer. Typical items of this nature includefoods and beverages prepackaged by a supplier for delivery to afoodservice end point or point-of-sale location, where the supplier'sprepackaging is in containers containing a sufficient quantity forconsumption by a single consumer and is stored and displayed in a frozenor refrigerated state.

Examples of such prepackaged items include, without limitation, cups ofhard-frozen or soft ice cream, frozen yogurt, sherbet, jellos, puddings,fruit cups, liquid juices, and frozen fruit-flavored confectionscommonly referred to as “Italian Ice,” popsicles, and the like. A numberof suppliers have recently introduced a related category of itemsformulated so as to maintain a partially frozen state even whensubjected to the relatively low temperature range of commercialfreezers. These items include “soft frozen lemonade,” and similar itemsdesigned to be soft enough to be pushed from the package through anopening in the package, for immediate consumption.

Other examples include beverages dispensed from machines that haveconverted the beverage from a liquid to a partially frozen state that isappealing to consumers. Such beverages are frequently referred to withinthe beverage industry as “frozen uncarbonated beverages,” “frozencarbonated beverages” or milkshakes, and are commonly referred to byconsumers as a “slushy,” a “smoothie,” a “slurpee” (“Slurpee” is aregistered trademark of the 7-11 Corporation), an “Icee,” (“Icee” is aregistered trademark of the J & J Snack Foods Corporation), a “shake,” a“frappe,” a or a “cabinet shake.” These types of beverages and allsimilar beverages are collectively referred to herein as “slushbeverages” or “slush beverage product.”, or milkshakes. The machinesused to convert such beverages from a liquid to a partially frozen stateare commonly known as “slush machines,” or “milkshake machines,” or“soft-serve machines.” These types of machines and all machinesperforming a similar function are collectively referred to herein as“slush machines” or “milkshake machines.”

There are numerous drawbacks to the currently available refrigerationdevices that are used for maintaining the food or beverage items in thedesired state and at the desired temperatures for point-of-sale use. Inparticular, refrigeration for display to consumers is typicallyexpensive, and requires a lot of counter space or floor space as well asroutine maintenance. For example, the slush or granita machines, asdescribed above, typically require a source of electricity, a compressorfor freezing a surface in contact with the initially liquid beverage,and an augur or other device for agitating the beverage as it freezesand preventing the formation of objectionably large ice crystals. Inaddition, such machines are expensive, require periodic maintenance,require the replacement of parts that wear with use, and requireperiodic disassembly and reassembly for cleaning.

In addition, many foodservice operations offering food items such asslush beverages must serve relatively high numbers of customers inrelatively short periods of time. For example, because of the popularityof slush beverages, particularly with children, foodservice operations,such as school cafeterias, must be capable of dispensing a high volumeof slush beverage product in a short period of time. However, many ofthe models of slush machines in current use are limited in capacity tothe amount of beverage product initially poured into the productreservoirs of the machine plus the small additional amount that canpracticably be added to the machine and frozen to the desiredconsistency during the serving period. As a result, such high-volumefoodservice operations are unable to prepare and dispense from a singlemachine a sufficient amount of slush beverage in the allotted servingtime. Thus, multiple machines would be required to achieve the desiredvolume of slush beverage, which leads to increased equipment andmaintenance costs for a particular foodservice operation.

Some foodservice operations attempt to overcome this problem bydispensing cups of slush beverage from the machine prior to the firstperiod of service to customers, thereby creating capacity within thereservoirs of the machine for additional liquid beverage to be addedwith the result that it may freeze into the desired state in time forthe first period of service to customers. However, this approach is notvery effective. Slush beverages are typically dispensed at a temperaturein the range of about 23° F. (−5° C.) to about 29° F. (−1.7° C.), and itis important to maintain the beverage at a temperature close to thetemperature at which it was dispensed. If stored at too cold atemperature, additional ice forms within the beverage, which renders ittoo viscous to be easily consumed. In contrast, if the slush beveragesare stored at too warm a temperature, the beverage will melt, whichrenders it less appealing to consumers.

It is not desirable to store dispensed slush beverage in the freezer ofa typical foodservice operation, because such freezers generallymaintain an interior temperature of 10° F. (−12° C.) or colder, at whichtemperature additional ice would form within the slush beverage and itwould eventually freeze solid. Nor is it desirable to store dispensedslush beverage in the cooler or refrigerator of a typical foodserviceoperation, because such coolers and refrigerators generally maintain aninterior temperature between about 35° F. (1.67° C.) and about 40° F.(4.4° C.), at which temperature the slush beverage would begin to melt.Finally, it is least desirable to place dispensed slush beverage on aserving line exposed to ambient air within the foodservice operation,because such air, typically in the range of about 72° F. (22° C.) toabout 85° F. (29° C.) or warmer, would cause the slush beverage rapidlyto melt.

In addition, many foodservice operations with multiple serving lines orpoints of service outside the main cafeteria, lack the ability totransport cups of slush beverage from the slush machine to suchlocations that increase the opportunity for additional sales withoutrisk of melting the beverage.

The problems posed by the inherent limitations of conventional foodservice preparation and/or cold storage devices such as slush machinescan occur in a wide range of high-volume foodservice operations,including cafeterias (as noted above) and other foodservice sitesoperated within schools, colleges, office buildings, governmentbuildings, convention centers, military feeding sites, stadiums, movietheaters, cruise ships, passenger trains, casinos, amusement parks,catered events, buffets, county fairs, and the like.

In particular, the above-noted problems associated with providing a highvolume of slush beverages to children in school cafeterias based uponthe use of conventional foodservice devices often results in thedecision by schools to abandon the serving of slush beverages tostudents, despite the popularity of such beverages to students.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a relatively inexpensive, portablethermal treatment and storage device or unit for food or beverage itemsfor point-of-sale use in foodservice locations, of any type, which findit impractical to purchase or operate a slush machine or milkshakemachine, for any of the following reasons: the expense of the machine;labor necessary for filling, sanitizing, and cleaning the machine; theelectrical expense associated with providing for and operating themachine; the space requirements of the machine; and the ongoing partsand labor expense for maintenance of the machine. The portable thermaltreatment and storage unit is useful in low-volume foodserviceoperations where the food or beverage items are to be produced orprovided at a single point-of sale, and also in high-volume foodserviceoperations in which the food or beverage items are to be produced orprovided at multiple points-of-sale, where multiple slush or milkshakemachines would otherwise be required. In addition, the portable thermaltreatment and storage unit maintains the food or beverage items in adesired state and at a desired temperature for extended periods of time.

The present invention is not limited to the above features and/or uses,and it is further not intended that the present invention be construedas requiring any one or more of the above features and/or uses unlessexpressly required by the claims attached hereto.

The present invention is not limited to the above features and/or uses,and it is further not intended that the present invention be construedas requiring any one or more of the above features and/or uses unlessexpressly required by the claims attached hereto.

In accordance with an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, aportable thermal treatment and storage unit comprises a housingincluding a thermal treatment chamber, and a support member secured tothe housing and including a plurality of openings to receive and supportfood or beverage items such that a substantial portion of each of thefood or beverage items is disposed within the housing chamber. Ports aredisposed on at least one of the housing and support member. The portsprovide a flow path between the chamber and an environment surroundingthe unit to facilitate a flow of air into the housing, through thechamber, and out of the housing. The unit is insulated and configured toselectively open and close at least one port to limit or prevent theflow of air into the housing and through the chamber such that, when theat least one port is opened, the unit facilitates heat transfer betweenthe flowing air and the food or beverage items supported by the supportmember so as to change the temperature of the food or beverage items.When the at least one port is closed, the unit insulates the food orbeverage items to maintain the food or beverage items within a selectedtemperature range for a selected time period.

In accordance with another exemplary embodiment of the invention, amethod of thermally treating food or beverage items comprises loadingfrozen food or beverage items in a unit such that a substantial portionof each food or beverage item is disposed within a chamber of the unit,and thermally treating the frozen food or beverage items by facilitatinga flow of air from an environment surrounding the unit through the unitchamber, where the air is at a higher temperature than the frozen foodor beverage items such that the frozen food or beverage items are warmedover a selected warming time period to form partially frozen food orbeverage items at a selected temperature range that is higher than thetemperature of the frozen food or beverage items. Upon achieving theselected temperature range for the partially frozen food or beverageitems, the flow of air is limited or prevented through the unit chamberso as to maintain the partially frozen food or beverage items within theselected temperature range for a selected storage time period.

The units and corresponding methods of the present invention enhancepoint-of-sale foodservice operations by thermally treating food orbeverage items while minimizing costs and labor associated with suchfoodservice operations. Most significantly, since the unit is configuredto convert a frozen product into a slush or milkshake beverage product,the need for a slush or milkshake beverage machine in foodserviceoperations is eliminated altogether. Further, when utilizing the unit ofthe invention for providing slush or milkshake beverages, the uniteliminates the need for multiple slush or milkshake beverage machinesdisposed at different locations in order to ensure that the requisitevolume of such beverages is available for consumption over a select timeperiod. The unit of the present invention further requires no electricalenergy or mechanical devices such as compressors to ensure effectiverefrigeration of food and beverage items.

The above and still further objects, features and advantages of thepresent invention will become apparent upon consideration of thefollowing detailed description of specific embodiments thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded view in perspective of a portable unit forinsulating and refrigerating food or beverage items for point-of-saleconsumption in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional side view in elevation of the cartridge ofthe unit of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top view in plan of the cartridge top section of the unit ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a view in perspective showing a bottom surface of thecartridge bottom section of the unit of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional side view in elevation of the outerinsulating case of the unit of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a view in perspective of a plurality of stacked units havingthe same configuration as the unit of FIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is an exploded view in perspective of a portable thermaltreatment unit for thermally treating and storing food or beverage itemsfor point-of-sale consumption in accordance with the present invention.

FIGS. 8A and 8B are top views of the housing for the unit of FIG. 7showing a movable member disposed within the housing at two differentpositions.

FIGS. 9A and 9B are views in perspective for the unit of FIG. 7 in whichthe movable member is disposed within the housing at the two differentpositions as depicted in FIGS. 8A and 8B.

FIG. 10 is a top view of the unit of FIG. 7.

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional side view of the unit of FIG. 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In accordance with the present invention, a portable thermal treatmentand storage device or unit is provided that is capable of convertingfrozen or non-frozen food or beverage items into a partially frozenstate and/or maintaining food or beverage items in a partially frozen orany other desired state and within a desired temperature range for aselected time period without the requirement of electrical energy.

In one embodiment of the invention, a portable refrigeration andinsulation unit includes a cartridge that effectively insulates and/orrefrigerates food items stored in the cartridge at desired temperatures.The cartridge includes an insulating material and/or a heat transfermaterial that provides effective heat transfer between portions of thecartridge and the food items stored within the cartridge so as tomaintain the food items at the desired temperatures. In addition, theunit includes an outer frame or case that is configured to receive thecartridge to provide further insulating features for the unit as well asminimize or prevent exposure of the food items to the ambient air inwhich the device is located. The outer frame is further configured to bestacked with other outer frames to facilitate more effective storage ofa high volume or quantity of food items while minimizing floor space ata point-of-sale foodservice location. The unit is particularly usefulfor preparing slush beverage products by thermally treating a beverageproduct in a liquid state so as to form a slush beverage product in apartially frozen state within the unit, and then thermally maintainingthe slush beverage product at a desired temperature and at the desiredpartially frozen state for a selected time period.

In another embodiment of the invention, a thermal treatment andinsulation unit includes a thermal treatment feature in which an airflowpath through the unit is selectively provided during operation of theunit. This unit design is particularly useful for thermally treatingfrozen or partially frozen food or beverage products, where the productsare loaded into the unit at a temperature that is lower than the ambientair temperature surrounding the unit, and an airflow pathway isfacilitated by selectively opening one or more ports within the unit soas to heat the products in a desired manner and for a selected period oftime. The unit is further configured such that the one or more ports inthe unit can be closed to substantially limit or prevent airflow throughthe unit, while the unit effectively insulates the food or beverageproducts loaded within the unit so as to maintain such products at adesired temperature for a selected time period.

An exemplary embodiment of a portable refrigeration and insulation unitof the present invention is described below and depicted in FIGS. 1-5.The portable refrigeration and insulation unit is described herein inrelation to producing and/or storing slush beverage products asdescribed below while maintaining the slush beverages in a partiallyfrozen and aesthetically pleasing state. However, it is noted that theunit of the present invention is not limited to use with slush beverageproducts. Rather, the unit can be used with any one or more types ofdifferent packaged or unpackaged food or beverage items including,without limitation, cups of hard-frozen or soft ice cream, frozenyogurt, sherbet, jellos, puddings, fruit cups, partially frozen, frozenor liquid juices, a fruit-flavored confections commonly referred to as“Italian Ice,” and popsicles.

Referring to FIGS. 1-5, a portable refrigeration and insulation unit 2includes a cartridge 4, an outer insulating case 30 with an open cavityor compartment to receive the cartridge, and a cover 50 configured to beplaced upon the outer case to close the outer compartment of the outercase with the cartridge received therein so as to minimize or preventexposure as well as any potential heat transfer between the cartridgeand the ambient air surrounding the device. Each of the outer insulatingcase, cartridge and cover can be constructed of any one or more suitablematerials including, without limitation, plastics and/or metal or metalalloy materials. Preferably, each of these components of the unit isconstructed of a lightweight and high impact resistant thermoplasticmaterial such as polyethylene.

Cartridge 4 and outer insulating case 30 have a generally squareconfiguration. The compartment of the outer insulating case is alsogenerally square and slightly larger in dimensions than the outerdimensions of the cartridge so as to receive and securely retain thecartridge when the cartridge is assembled within the outer case in themanner described below. The cover 50 further has a generally squareconfiguration so as to fit snugly along a lip of the outer case asdescribed below. However, it is noted that the cartridge, outerinsulating case and cover may include different geometric configurationsincluding, without limitation, rectangular, circular, and ovalconfigurations. The cartridge, outer case and cover may further includeany suitable dimensions as may be required for a particular application.

Cartridge 4 includes a top section 6 and a bottom section 20 with anopen cavity or compartment suitably dimensioned to receive the topsection. The top section 6 includes a top surface plate 8 including aseries of cavities or wells 10 defined in the top surface plate andextending a selected distance from the top surface plate. As describedbelow, the wells 10 are configured to receive cups of slush beverageproduct. However, the cavities or wells can be configured to receive anypackaged or unpackaged food item for a particular foodserviceapplication. In addition, the top surface plate 8 includes a raised lipportion 7 that extends around the periphery of the top surface plate andis configured to engage with and slightly extend over a correspondinglip portion 21 extending around the periphery of the bottom section 20.The cartridge top and bottom sections can be separately formed in anysuitable manner, such as an injection molding or extrusion process.

Each of the cup wells 10 includes a closed terminal end that isdistanced from the top surface plate 8. The depth dimensions of thewells and depth of the bottom section compartment are preferablydimensioned such that, upon insertion of the cup wells 10 within thecompartment of the bottom section 20, the enclosed terminal ends engagewith a bottom wall 22 of the bottom section when the raised lip portion7 of the top surface plate 8 engages with and rests upon the lip portion21 of the bottom section 20.

The cup wells 10 are suitably dimensioned to accommodate slush beveragecups with any desirable sizes and geometric configurations. For example,the cup wells may be suitably dimensioned to receive cups in a varietyof different sizes including, without limitation, 3 ounce cups, 4-5ounce cups, 6 ounce cups, 8 ounce cups, 10 ounce cups, 11 ounce cups and12 ounce cups. Further, the inner contoured surfaces of the wells areconfigured to substantially complement the outer surface geometries ofthe cups to be inserted within the wells so as to ensure substantialcontact is made between the cups and the inner surface walls of thewells. This ensures effective heat exchange between heat transfermaterial disposed within the cartridge and the slush beverage product asdescribed below.

As can be seen from the embodiment of FIGS. 1-5 (in particular, in FIG.2), cup wells 10 are designed with a slightly tapered cylindrical orfrustum-like configuration, in which there is a slight decrease in cupwell diameter as the wells extend from the top plate surface 6 to theirclosed terminal ends. This geometry substantially corresponds with andcomplements the outer geometrical configuration of a typical slushbeverage cup so as to facilitate a tight and snug fit between the cupand the interior cup well surface when the cup is placed within the cupwell. However, it is noted that the cup wells can have any one or moreother suitable geometric configurations to match any other outer surfacecup (or other food or beverage item) geometries for a particularapplication.

The frustum-shaped cups typically used for slush beverages have on theorder of 3 to 4 square inches of surface area on the curved wall of thecups for each fluid ounce of beverage that can be held within the cups.Exemplary cups of this type are 6 ounce cups having fluted walls whichare manufactured by FabriKal Corporation (Kalamazoo, Mich.). Thecartridge wells can be suitably dimensioned to receive such cups in aclose fitting relationship as described above.

The cartridge can be designed and suitably dimensioned to include anyselected number of cup wells. While the cartridge 4 depicted in thefigures includes 34 cup wells, the cartridge can include a larger orsmaller number of cup wells (e.g., 10 cup wells, 16 cup wells, 46 cupwells, 94 cup wells, etc.) depending upon a particular application andthe size of the cups to be placed within the wells. Examples ofcartridges that can be constructed in accordance with the presentinvention include, without limitation, cartridges including 16 cup wellsthat are configured to receive 8-12 ounce cups, and cartridges including34 cup wells that are configured to receive 4-5 ounce cups.

The depths of the cup wells are further suitably dimensioned such that amajority of the outer wall surface portions of each cup is retainedwithin a corresponding well in which the cup is received. For example,in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-5, the cup wells 10 are configured toreceive cups that include removable lids, where a substantial portion ofthe cups (i.e., a majority of the volume of each cup) is received withinthe cup wells, such that only a small portion of each cup including theremovable lid extends from each cup well when the cups are receivedwithin the cup wells. This cup well design ensures sufficient heattransfer and/or insulation of the slush beverage product within the unitfor selected time periods while minimizing or preventing undesirableheat transfer between the slush beverage product and the ambient airsurrounding the portable unit.

The cup wells can be aligned in any selected configuration along the topsurface plate of the cartridge. Preferably, the cup wells are spaced asufficient distance from each other and are suitably aligned along thetop surface plate of the cartridge so that a generally uniform amount ofheat transfer material and/or insulation material surrounds each cupwell. For example, the cup wells can be spaced generally equidistantfrom each other to ensure substantially uniform and effective heattransfer between the food or beverage product disposed in each cup welland the heat transfer material surrounding portions of the cup wells.

As can best be seen in FIG. 4, the cup wells 10 are aligned in generallylinear patterns or sets that are parallel with each other and extenddiagonally with respect to the generally square configuration of the topsurface plate 6. A series of shallow troughs or finger engaging grooves12 are also disposed along the top surface plate 6 and extend betweenthe linearly aligned sets of cup wells 10, where the grooves 12 furtherextend slightly beyond each cup well 10 disposed at the end of eachlinear set. Thus, each cup well 10 includes a pair of diametricallyopposed groove sections 12 disposed about its periphery, and thesefinger engaging groove sections facilitate easy removal of a cup from acup well by a user without unseating the cup lid. In particular, theuser can insert a thumb and forefinger into each diametrically opposedgroove section 12 adjacent a particular well 10 to facilitate easyremoval of the cup disposed within the cup well.

The top and bottom sections further include cut-out sections disposedalong the corresponding sides of both sections such that the cut-outsections are aligned with each other upon securing the top and bottomsections together in the manner described below. In particular, topsection 6 includes a cut-out section 14 disposed along the peripherallip portion 7 along one side of the top section, while bottom section 20includes a cut-out section 24 that extends along the peripheral lipportion 21 as well as along the side wall of the bottom section. Thecut-out sections of the top and bottom sections facilitate easy removalof the assembled cartridge from the outer insulating case as describedbelow. In addition, cut-out section 24 of the bottom section isconfigured to serve as a gripping handle to permit carrying of theassembled cartridge by a user when the cartridge is being cleaned,thermally treated or transported prior to use.

Optionally, an insulation section 16 is provided within cartridge 4. Theinsulation section is suitably dimensioned and configured to fit withina lower portion of the open compartment of the bottom section 20 so asto nest snugly between the top and bottom sections when these twosections are assembled to form the cartridge. The insulation section ispreferably formed of a material having suitable insulating properties.Preferably, the insulation section is formed of a closed cell foammaterial, most preferably a closed cell polyethylene material. As can beseen in FIGS. 1 and 2, insulation section 16 includes a series oftunnels or slots 1 7 that extend through the insulation section. Theslots 17 are further suitably dimensioned and arranged along theinsulation section so as to be aligned with and configured to receivethe cup wells 10 of top section 6 when the cartridge is assembled in themanner described below. The insulation section 16 also includes acut-out section 18 that generally corresponds with the cut-out section24 of the bottom section 20 so as to facilitate a snug fit between theinsulation section and the open compartment of the bottom section.

When assembled in the bottom section (as shown in FIG. 2), theinsulation section surrounds portions of the cup wells 10 and engagesthe bottom wall 22 so as to fill up a selected portion of the opencompartment of the bottom section, leaving a gap that defines aremaining open volume within the open compartment to be filled with theheat transfer material as described below. In an exemplary embodiment,the insulation section is a closed cell foam material (e.g.,polyethylene) that is about 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) in thickness.

Referring to FIG. 4, stepped portions are disposed along the bottom andside walls at two adjacent corners of the bottom section 20 so as todefine two ledges 26 at these corners within the bottom sectioncompartment. The two adjacent corner portions 19 of insulation section16 that correspond with ledges 26 of the bottom section 20 are roundedor truncated to facilitate complete insertion of the insulation sectionto engage with bottom wall 22 of the bottom section. An inlet port 28 tothe compartment is provided at each ledge 26 to facilitate injection orfilling of the remaining open volume in the bottom section opencompartment with heat transfer material after the insulation section 16and top section 6 have been inserted within the bottom section duringassembly of the cartridge. The inlet ports 28 include a valve or anyother suitable sealing structure to effectively seal the ports afterassembly of the cartridge in order to ensure that no heat transfermaterial leaks from the inlet ports during operation of the unit. Thethickness of the insulation section 16 and the locations of the ledges26 and inlet ports 28 are selected to ensure that the inlet portscommunicate with the open space within the bottom section compartmentafter the insulation section has been installed within the bottomsection.

Upon connecting the top section 6 with the bottom section 20 of thecartridge 4, a cartridge cavity exists within the cartridge that ispartially or completely filled with a heat transfer material. Forexample, if the insulation section 16 is provided, the remaining spaceof the cartridge cavity is filled with heat transfer material. Thecartridge cavity has a volume (also referred to as the internalcartridge volume) that is defined by the internal gap or space formedbetween the top and bottom sections after these two sections are joinedtogether.

The heat transfer material that is utilized in cartridge 4 is preferablya high thermal capacity phase change material such as a refrigerant gel,liquid or other material that has a phase change temperature (i.e., themelting point temperature of the phase change material) that is nogreater than the desired temperature for holding the food or beverageitems at a desired temperature and in a desired state (e.g., arelatively stable partially frozen state) for a desired period of time(e.g., for a period of about 1 hour to about 6 hours or more). The phasetransfer material is most preferably a gel material that is capable ofabsorbing significant quantities of latent heat during thawing as heatis transferred between the food or beverage item and the gel.

Preferably, the heat transfer material has a phase change temperaturethat is within the range of about 1° F. (0.56° C.) to about 10° F. (5.6°C.) below the desired temperature range in which the food or beverageitems are to be maintained during operation of the unit. For example,typical slush beverage products include juices that have freezing pointsin the range of about 25° F. (−3.9° C.) to about 29° F. (1.7° C.). Suchslush beverage products are often prepared and served at thesetemperature ranges so as to ensure a desirable partially frozen andaesthetically pleasing state for the beverage. In accordance with thepresent invention, an ideal heat transfer material can be providedhaving a phase change temperature in the range of about 22° F. (−5.6°C.) to about 24° F. (4.4° C.) in order to maintain such slush beverageproducts at a desired partially frozen state for extended periods oftime (e.g., from about 1 hour to about 6 hours or more). For example, aneffective heat transfer material for use in thermally treating slushbeverage products with the unit of the invention can have a phase changetemperature in the range of about 23.5° F. (−4.7° C.).

Preferably, the heat transfer material has a suitable composition thateffectively facilitates repeated cooling, freezing and/or thawing of thematerial (e.g., at least one phase change transfer of the material every24 hours) without significant degradation or decline in heat transferperformance of the heat transfer material. Most preferably, a suitableheat transfer material is provided that can easily withstand repeatedcooling, freezing and/or thawing cycles for a period of about two yearsto about seven years or more.

The composition and volume of the phase change material, as well as thecomposition and thickness of the insulation section, can be modified inany suitable manner in the cartridge configuration of the inventionbased upon a particular application and the desired temperature rangeand time period in which a particular food or beverage item is to betreated by the cartridge. For example, in slush beverage foodserviceoperations, it is desirable to provide a selected volume or amount ofphase change material within the internal cartridge volume so as tofacilitate heat transfer at an upper portion of the cups disposed withinthe cup wells (i.e., a portion of the cups including the cup lids),while insulating the cups with the insulating section disposed in theremaining volume of the cartridge. However, in other applications, itmay be desirable to provide phase change material within the entireinternal volume of the cartridge, thus eliminating the insulatingsection altogether.

The heat transfer material is filled within the internal cartridgevolume such that this material uniformly surrounds each of the cup wellsalong the entire surface of the cup wells or, alternatively, alongselected portions (e.g., upper portions) of the cup wells. For certainfood and beverage storage applications, such as slush beverage products,the amount of heat transfer material within the cartridge is preferablyselected to vary from about 10% to about 50% of the internal cartridgevolume, most preferably at an upper portion of the internal cartridgevolume (i.e., a portion of the internal cartridge volume that extends aselected distance from the top surface plate 8 of the top section 6).For example, for cup wells that are configured to receive and retaincups with fluid capacities on the order of about 4-5 fluid ounces, asuitable heat transfer material can be provided surrounding each cupwell and having a weight in the range of about 0.5 lbs (227 g). Forexample, the total weight of heat transfer material that would beeffective for a cartridge having 36 cup wells (with each cup wellreceiving about 4-5 fluid ounces of beverage product) would be in therange of about 18-19 lbs (8.2-8.6 kg).

Where less heat transfer material is used, the cartridge will be lighterin weight and less costly to manufacture. However, less heat transfermaterial may also result in diminished heat transfer capabilities andresultant diminished storage time for the food or beverage product. Whenthe heat transfer material content is at the low end of the rangedescribed above, the unit is preferably constructed so as to confine theheat transfer material within the cartridge in the manner describedabove, where the heat transfer material surrounds the uppermost portionsof the cup-receiving cavities, thus ensuring maximum heat transfer fromthe upper portions of the cups within the cavities, so as to counter theeffect of heat transfer into the upper portion of the product within thecups due to exposure to ambient air.

As noted above, the heat transfer material is preferably composed of agel material. Most preferably, a phase change material is used that iscomposed of food grade materials that are generally recognized as safe(GRAS) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. One preferable phasechange material that is suitable for use in the cartridge, particularlyfor use with slush beverage products, is a gel material composed of acombination of a natural gum polysaccharide, such as guar gum or xanthamgum, and water. In addition, the phase change material can includeorganic nad/or other acids (e.g., citric or ascorbic acid), and/or salts(e.g., alkaline salts such as chlorides, carbonates, silicates, etc.)which serve as freezing point depressants and/or as stabilizers for thephase change material.

An exemplary phase change material that has been found suitable for usein the cartridge (in particular, for use with slush beverage products)is an aqueous gel mixture including xantham gum in an amount of nogreater than about 1-2% by weight of the total mixture, sodium chloridein an amount of no greater than about 5% by weight of the total mixture,calcium carbonate in an amount no greater than about 0.2% by weight ofthe total mixture, sodium benzoate in an amount no greater than about0.2% by weight of the total mixture, and citric acid in an amount of nogreater than about 0.4% by weight of the total mixture, with the balancebeing water.

Other heat transfer material compositions can also be used in accordancewith the invention, as well as compositions including other compoundsmixed with water and/or other materials. For example, other heattransfer materials that can be used in the cartridge of the inventioncan include glycols (e.g., propylene glycols) and/or certain paraffinichydrocarbons with suitable melting points that facilitate desired heattransfer capabilities for a particular foodservice application.

The cartridge 4 is assembled by first placing the insulation section 16within the compartment of the bottom section 20 such that the insulationsection contacts bottom surface 22 of the bottom section. As notedabove, and depending upon a particular application in which thecartridge is to be used, the cartridge can also be constructed withoutany insulation section (so that the internal cartridge volume is capableof receiving a greater amount of heat transfer material). The topsection 6 is then inserted into the bottom surface compartment so thatthe cup wells 10 extend through the slots 17 of the insulation sectionand engage with bottom surface 22 of the bottom section and theperipheral lip 7 of the top section engages with the peripheral lip 21of the bottom section. Lip 7 of top section 6 is secured to lip 21 ofbottom section 20 via a suitable adhesive material (e.g., an epoxyresin) in order to ensure that the internal cartridge volume definedbetween the top and bottom sections is effectively sealed and is liquidtight. In addition, the terminal ends of the cup wells 10 can be securedto the bottom surface 22 via the adhesive material.

Once the top and bottom sections are effectively secured together, withthe insulation section also secured between these two sections, the heattransfer material is then injected into the open space or internalcartridge volume via the inlet ports 28 of the bottom surface.Preferably, the entire open volume between the insulation section 16 andthe top surface plate 8 is filled with heat transfer material. As notedabove, the insulation section is preferably constructed of a closed cellfoam material (e.g., a closed-cell polyethylene foam), which issubstantially non-absorbent to the heat transfer material. As shown inFIG. 2, after filling of the cartridge in the manner described above,the heat transfer material 29 remains within the internal cartridgevolume between the top plate of the top section and the insulationsection during use of the cartridge.

The cartridge can be constructed of any suitable materials having asufficient flexibility and strength to permit a slight expansion of theheat transfer material (e.g., during freezing of the heat transfermaterial) without rupturing. Portions of the cartridge, including thetop surface plate 8 and the walls of the cup-receiving wells 10, arealso preferably constructed of materials having sufficient thermalconductivities that facilitate rapid heat transfer between the food orbeverage product and the heat transfer material. As noted above, thecartridge is preferably constructed of a high impact resistant,thermoplastic, easily cleanable material, most preferably polyethylene.

The cartridge is also preferably white in color so as to impart aninvitingly clean appearance to the consumer. The assembled cartridge isfurther easily cleanable between uses, for example, by scrubbing and/orspraying with an aqueous-based cleaning solution and then drying in anysuitable manner.

The outer insulating case 30 includes a top section 32 that is securedto a bottom section 34 in any suitable manner (e.g., via a suitableadhesive, welding, etc.). The top section defines a compartment that issuitably dimensioned to receive cartridge 4, with an inner ledge 33formed along the inner peripheral side wall surfaces at an upper end ofthe case 30. The inner ledge 33 is suitably dimensioned to engage andsupport the lip portions 7 and 21 of the top and bottom sections ofcartridge 4 when the cartridge is placed within the outer insulatingcase compartment. When the cartridge is received within the outerinsulating case, the raised lip portion 7 of the cartridge is nearlyflush or coplanar with the top of the case. Alternatively, it is notedthat the case can be configured to receive any number of cartridges(e.g., two or more) depending upon the requirements for a particularfoodservice application. In such an embodiment, the case would have aheight that is extended from the configuration shown in the figures toaccommodate multiple cartridges.

A removed portion 40 of the ledge 33 is defined along at least one sideof the case 30 at a location that is aligned and corresponds with thecut-out portions 14, 24 of the cartridge 4. Preferably, each side wallincludes such a removed portion 40, so as to facilitate placement of thecartridge within the outer insulating case in any manner while ensuringthat the cartridge cut-out portions are aligned with a removed ledgeportion of the case. The removed portions 40 facilitate easy removal ofthe cartridge from the outer insulating case by insertion of a user'shand beneath the lip portions 7 and 21 of the cartridge in order toobtain a better grip of the cartridge.

As can be seen in FIG. 5, each of the side walls of top section 32 isfolded over at the upper end of the top section so as to form a doublewall configuration. The double wall configuration includes an outer wallmember 35 defining an outer surface of the case 30 and an inner wallmember 36 that is separated a selected distance from the outer wallmember and is configured to engage at least a portion of the cartridgeouter wall when the cartridge is placed within the compartment of thecase. The distance between the inner and outer wall members of the topsection define a space or air gap between the inner compartment wallsand the outer walls of the outer insulating case. The outer wall members35 of the top section 32 taper slightly in an outward direction from thetop to the bottom of the case 30, such that the cross-sectionaldimensions of the case are slightly larger at its bottom than at itstop. As described below, this feature facilitates the stacking of unitson top of each other in a foodservice environment to maximizepoint-of-sale food placement while minimizing floor space.

The bottom section 34 of case 30 has a generally U-shapedcross-sectional configuration, with a top wall 38 that is secured to abottom wall 37 of top section 32. The top wall 38 of bottom section 34extends beyond the top section bottom wall 37 to side walls 39. The sidewalls 39 of the bottom section extend below top wall 38 and are securedto lower portions of the outer side walls 35, thus defining a space orair gap between the bottom section top wall and a surface which supportsthe outer insulating case 30. Thus, the compartment walls of the outerinsulating case are separated from the outer walls of the case and thesurface which supports the case such that air gaps surround the sidesand bottom of the compartment.

The air gaps provide further insulation to the cartridge and food itemsstored within the cup wells of the cartridge from the ambientenvironment in which the unit is placed. The dimensions of the air gapsbetween inner and outer walls of the top section as well as between thebottom section top wall and support surface can be modified in anysuitable manner to provide the desired insulating effect for aparticular application. Preferably, the distances between the inner andouter walls of the top section and between the bottom section top walland a support surface for the unit are in the range of about 0.5 inch(1.3 cm) to about 1.5 inches (3.8 cm). In addition, any suitableinsulation material (e.g., foam, liquid, gel, etc.) can be provided inthe air gaps as desired to achieve the desired level of insulation forthe cartridge disposed within the outer insulating case.

The outer insulating case can have any suitable dimensions, dependingupon a particular foodservice application and the number and/or types offood or beverage items that are to be thermally treated. In an exemplaryembodiment, the outer insulating case can be square or rectangular andhas outer length and width dimensions ranging from about 18 inches (46cm) to about 24 inches (61 cm), and a height of about 4 inches (10 cm)to about 8 inches (20 cm), so as to facilitate receipt of a cartridgethat stores cups of varying sizes (e.g., cup sizes from about 3 ouncesor less to about 10 ounces or more). The cartridge and cover aredimensioned appropriately to be assembled with the outer insulating casehaving the dimensions noted above.

The outer insulation case can be constructed of any suitable materials,such as polyethylene as noted above. In addition, the top and bottomsections of the case can be constructed in any suitable manner (e.g.,via injection molding, extrusion, etc.). Portions of the case arepreferably constructed of a light-reflecting material so as to minimizeradiant heat transfer within the unit due to light. In an exemplaryembodiment, the outer wall surfaces of top and bottom sections of theouter insulating case are constructed of a suitable transparent plasticmaterial, while the surfaces of the top section inner walls are coatedwith a reflective and/or electrostatically applied metallic substance(e.g., a reflective paint or a thin strip or sheet of metal) so as toimpart a mirror-like finish to the outer surfaces. The mirror-likefinish further minimizes heat gain via radiant heat within the outerinsulating case compartment, and also provides a modern andaesthetically pleasing appearance to consumers. The outer walls of theouter insulating case can further include any suitable indicia thatcontain descriptive information of the food or beverage product withinthe unit and/or other aesthetic images or features that are pleasing toconsumers in a foodservice environment.

The outer insulation case and/or the cartridge can further includehandles or any other suitable gripping surfaces to facilitate easylifting and transport of the unit to desired locations. For example, asnoted above, the cut-out section 24 of the cartridge serves as a handlefor transport of the cartridge during periods of non-use with the outerinsulating case. In addition, the handles or gripping surfaces can bedesigned to facilitate storage of the case and/or cartridge (e.g., bysuspending the case or cartridge from a hook or post on a wall surface).

The cover 50 has a generally U-shaped cross-sectional configuration andis suitably dimensioned to easily fit over the top of case 30 so as toseal and insulate the compartment including cartridge 4 from the ambientenvironment, thus minimizing or preventing heat transfer into the unit.As noted above, the cover can be constructed of any suitable materials,and the cover can further be constructed via an injection moldingprocess, an extrusion process, or in any other suitable manner. Thecover is preferably constructed of a suitable transparent plasticmaterial to allow consumers to see through the cover to the food itemssecured within the wells 10 of the cartridge 4 disposed within the outerinsulating case compartment.

While the cover depicted in FIG. 1 is a single piece, the cover can haveother suitable configurations. For example, the cover can be constructedof two or more parts, where the cover includes doors that are removablysecured or attached via a hinge or other connection to other portions ofthe cover.

In addition, as noted above, the outer wall members 35 of the topsection 32 taper slightly in an outward direction from the top to thebottom of the case 30, such that the dimensions of the case are slightlylarger at its bottom than at its top. This facilitates stacking ofmultiple cases 30 on top of each other as shown in FIG. 6. Each case 30in FIG. 6 includes a cartridge 4 that is filled with food or beverageproducts (such as slush beverage products in cups) disposed within thewells 10 of the cartridges. The outer insulating case disposed at thetop of the stack includes a cover 50 placed thereon to insulate andisolate the food items within this case from the ambient environment.

Each outer insulating case is preferably suitably dimensioned to providea lower end air gap of sufficient dimensions (e.g., a distance rangingfrom about 0.5 inch (1.3 cm) to about 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) between thetop surface 38 of the outer insulating case bottom section 34 and asupport surface) that renders a stable supporting engagement for eachsuccessively stacked case, thus preventing any case from beinginadvertently pushed from any one or more cases that are stacked belowthe case. The stacking of units on top of each other in this mannermaximizes point-of-sale food placement while minimizing floor space in afoodservice application. When all of the food items have been removedfrom the cartridge of the top unit, this unit can be removed so as toexpose the next unit below, and the cover can then be placed on thisnext unit.

The unit of the present invention can be used to thermally treat food orbeverage items in a number of different ways. For example, whenthermally treating slush beverages, the unit of the present inventioncan be used to store and maintain the slush beverage at desiredtemperatures and in a desirable partially frozen state for extended timeperiods (e.g., time periods from about 1 hour to about 6 hours or more).In addition to storing the slush beverage product in this manner, theunit can also be used to form the slush beverage product from a liquidthat is chilled but not in any frozen state by thermally treating theliquid in a manner described below. Exemplary methods of operation forthe unit as depicted in the figures are described below for thermallytreating slush beverage products in a school cafeteria environment.

Initially, cartridge 4 is cooled for a selected period of time and at aselected temperature in a refrigeration unit or freezer so as to achievea sufficient temperature for the heat transfer material within thecartridge and thus render the heat transfer material as a suitable heatsink. In school cafeteria operations, unit 2 is used during lunchperiods. Prior to being used each day, the cartridge 4 is cooled bystoring it in a freezer on a nightly basis (e.g., for a period of about8-12 hours) and at a suitable temperature such that the heat transfermaterial is in the range of about 1° F. (0.56° C.) to about 10° F. (5.6°C.) below the desired temperature range in which the food or beverageitems are to be maintained during operation of the unit. For slushbeverage products, the heat transfer material preferably has a phasechange temperature in the range of about 22° F. (−5.6° C.) to about 24°F. (−4.4° C.), and the heat transfer material is preferably a gel whichis frozen in the freezer for the time periods noted above and at asuitable temperature such that the heat transfer material is in effect“charged” to its full heat transfer capacity and is within thistemperature range prior to removal of the cartridge from the freezer.

Upon removal of the cartridge 4 from the freezer, the wells 10 of thecartridge are loaded with cups containing the slush beverage cups. Inone embodiment, the slush beverage is already formed with a conventionalslush beverage machine (e.g., any of the types of slush beveragemachines as described above) and poured into cups, and the cups are thenloaded into the wells of the cartridge. In another embodiment describedbelow, the cups containing a chilled liquid are provided in thecartridge wells, and the cartridge cools the liquid to form the slushbeverage product (thus eliminating the need for a slush beveragemachine).

The cartridge is then placed within the compartment of outer insulatingcase 30, and a cover 50 is optionally placed on top of case 30 to sealthe cartridge within the case and minimize or prevent air convection andheat transfer between the cartridge and the ambient environment. Theunit is lightweight and portable, facilitating movement of the unit withrelative ease to a point-of-sale location for the unit, such as a schoolcafeteria lunch line. Optionally, a number of cooled and “charged”cartridges (i.e., cartridges with frozen gel material) can be placed incorresponding cases 30 and then stacked in the manner depicted in FIG.6, with the uppermost case 30 being sealed with a cover 50, where thestack is formed in the school lunch line.

During use of the unit, a consumer (e.g., a student) removes cover 50from the outer insulating case 30 and then removes a desired number ofcups containing slush beverage product from the wells 10 of cartridge 4.Alternatively, the cover 50 can be removed by a foodservice employeeprior to use of the unit by consumers. The grooved sections 12 allow theconsumer to easily grasp a cup in a well 10 with, for example, a thumband finger. When a cartridge 4 is emptied of cups, the case 30 can beremoved by a foodservice employee for cleaning operations. If the units2 are disposed in a stack, the top case 30 is simply removed, thusexposing the next case 30 disposed below the empty case to facilitatefurther selection of slush beverage cups by consumers.

The unit design facilitates heat transfer between the slush beverageproduct, through the walls of the wells 10, and the heat transfermaterial disposed within an upper portion of the cartridge, so as tomaintain the slush beverage at the desired temperature and partiallyfrozen state. Further, the insulation section 16 and outer insulatingcase 30 substantially minimize or prevent heat transfer between theslush beverage produce disposed within the cartridge wells and thesurrounding environment. In a stacked configuration, the top portion ofeach unit 2 is effectively sealed from convective air flows in thesurrounding environment due to another unit 2 being stacked upon the topportion of each unit or the cover 50 secured to the unit located at thetop of the stack.

A unit 2 that has been emptied of food or beverage items can be easilycleaned and prepared for re-use (e.g., for school lunch periods or otherfoodservice operations that are scheduled for the next day) by removingthe cartridge 4 from case 30. The cartridge can be easily cleaned withwater and/or a suitable cleaning solution, wiped dry, and then loadedinto the freezer for cooling and “re-charging” of the heat transfermaterial within the cartridge. The cartridge is cooled at a suitabletemperature within the freezer for a suitable period of time (e.g.,about 8-12 hours), and the cartridge is then ready for re-use infoodservice operations.

The units 2 can further be used to convert a liquid beverage productinto a partially frozen slush beverage product and further maintain theformed slush beverage product in its partially frozen state for anextended period of time. This is a very useful feature, particularly forschool lunch cafeterias, since the requirement for a slush beveragemachine (which produces the slush beverage product prior to loading theproduct within the units) is now eliminated altogether.

An exemplary method for converting a liquid beverage product into apartially frozen slush beverage product is now described. Initially, itis noted that the liquid beverage product includes a fruit juice thatpreferably has a freezing point within the range of about 25° F. (−3.9°C.) to about 29° F. (−1.7° C.). The slush beverage product is preferablymaintained within the freezing point temperature range of the fruitjuice in order to ensure that the slush beverage product has the desiredpartially frozen state when served to consumers. With such freezingpoint ranges, the heat transfer material preferably has a phase changetemperature in the range of about 22° F. (−5.6° C.) to about 24° F.(−4.4° C.). However, other beverages with different freezing points,including non-juice beverages, may also be used, and the amount andphase change temperature of the heat transfer material can be adjustedbased upon the freezing point of the beverage selected in order toachieve the desired partially frozen slush beverage state.

Preferably, the liquid beverage includes a suitable nucleating agentthat serves to induce formation of ice crystals as the liquid reachesits freezing point, and to further minimize or prevent the potential fora phenomenon known as “supercooling” by which a liquid reaches atemperature below its freezing point without freezing. Supercooling canoccur at temperatures as much as 10° F. (5.6° C.), or more, below thefreezing point, and often occurs more readily when liquids arequiescently frozen (e.g., as in the method described herein). Anysuitable nucleating agent that is also suitable for use as an additivein food and beverage products can be provided including, withoutlimitation, alkaline salts such as chlorides and carbonates. Preferably,calcium carbonate is provided in the juice as the nucleating agent in anamount of between about 0.1% to about 0.2% by weight (e.g., about 0.15%by weight). The actual amount of nucleating agent will depend on thefreezing point and other characteristics of the fruit juice used. Theuse of calcium carbonate as a nucleating agent in the amounts describedabove provides certain additional advantages during the formation of thepartially frozen slush beverage in the cartridge, in particular to theformation of a relatively uniform dispersion of ice crystals, where theice crystals are of a relatively small size.

In an embodiment where the beverage product is a milkshake, themilkshake preferably includes iota carageenan, which imparts an enhancedtexture or “mouth feel” and also inhibits the separation of ingredients.The preferred amount of iota carageenan provided in the milkshake isfrom about 0.01% to about 0.05% by weight, most preferably about 0.025%by weight. The milkshake also preferably includes mono- and/ordiglycerides to provide emulsification, thereby binding water and fat toprevent separation. The preferred amount of mono- and/or diglyceridesprovided in the milkshake is from about 0.08% to about 0.15% by weight,most preferably about 0.12% by weight. The milkshake also preferablyincludes polysorbate 80 to further the incorporation of air into theproduct, impart a dry surface appearance to the product, and improve theextrusion of the product from a batch or continuous freezer. Thepreferred amount of polysorbate 80 provided in the milkshake is fromabout 0.02% to 0.08% by weight, most preferably about 0.06% by weight.The milkshake also preferably includes microcrystalline cellulose(“cellulose gel”) to impart a fuller and more pleasing texture and“mouth feel” if the milkshake is a reduced fat, lowfat or nonfatproduct, and to further the retention of air cells dispersed throughoutthe product during tempering and holding in the unit. The preferredamount of cellulose gel in the milkshake is from about 0.1% to about0.5% by weight, most preferably about 0.15% by weight. The milkshakealso preferably includes locust bean gum (also known as “carob beangum”) to retard melting of the product, inhibit separation of water fromthe other ingredients in the product, and improve extrusion from thecontinuous or batch freezer. The preferred amount of locust bean gum inthe milkshake is from about 0.05% to 0.25% by weight, most preferablyabout 0.10% by weight.

The additives described above work with milkshakes sweetened only withnutritive sweeteners (e.g., sucrose, corn syrup or other nutritivesweeteners), as well as with milkshakes sweetened in whole or in partwith artificially sweeteners (e.g., sucralose, aspartame, or otherartificial sweeteners). In a preferred embodiment, the milkshake issweetened with a combination of sucrose, corn syrup and sucralose.

A preferred embodiment of a fruit juice to be converted to a slushbeverage product includes a blend of stabilizers, includingcarboxymethycellulose (“cellulose gum”) and locust bean gum. Thepreferable amount of the cellulose gum in the fruit juice is from about0.1% to about 0.5% by weight, most preferably about 0.15% by weight. Thepreferable amount of locust bean gum in the fruit juice is from about0.05% to about 0.25% by weight, most preferably about 0.08% by weight.Cellulose gum and locust bean gum are provided in the juice to serve asstabilizers for inhibiting the formation of objectionably large icecrystals in the slush beverage product. The locust bean gum also servesto improve extrusion from a continuous or batch freezer, to support arelatively uniform dispersion of the nucleating agent and to reduce thetendency of the nucleating agent to settle to the bottom of the beverageproduct. This in turn permits the nucleating agent to induce ice crystalformation relatively uniformly throughout the juice beverage rather thaninitially just at the bottom of the cup containing the juice beverage.

Various other proportions of pectin, xantham and locust bean gum canalso be utilized in accordance with the invention. In addition, otherstabilizers and polysaccharide gums can be used that are acceptable forfood grade applications including, without limitation, carboxymethylcellulose (cellulose gum), microcrystalline cellulose (cellulose gel),guar gum, carageenan, as well as other conventional food gradestabilizers and gums.

The fruit juice beverage is first poured into a selected number of cupsthat are suitably dimensioned and configured for placement within thecup wells 10 of unit cartridges 4. For example, the cups may be filledwith fruit juice at a supplier's plant by any conventional process, andthen frozen for shipment. Alternatively, the cups may be filledaseptically or by a conventional process known as “hot fill” in order torender the juice bacteriologically stable for an extended period withoutrefrigeration.

If the fruit juice is received from a supplier in a frozen state, thecups are placed into a commercial cooler for thawing. Thawing typicallyrequires one to two days. Once thawed, the cups remain in the coolerpre-chilled, as described below, prior to being removed for service. Thesupplier would typically inform the foodservice operation of the periodof time by which the cups, once chilled, should be used.

If the cups are received from the supplier in a “shelf-stable” state,the cups may be stored at room temperature for a period not to exceedthe “use by” date stamped on the cups (typically a period of 6 to 12months from manufacture). Prior to use, the cups should be pre-chilledin the manner described below prior to being placed in service.

The cups containing the fruit juice beverage are preferably pre-chilledto a selected temperature range and for a suitable time period prior tobeing placed or loaded within the cartridge wells to initiate thepartial freezing and formation of slush beverage product. Thetemperature at which the fruit juice is pre-chilled will depend upon thecomposition of the fruit juice, but the temperature is preferably abovethe point at which formation of ice crystals within the fruit juice isinitiated. An exemplary temperature range for pre-chilling the fruitjuice is from about 35° F. (1.7° C.) to about 42° F. (5.6° C.).

Upon achieving the desired temperature of the fruit juice beverage frompre-chilling the cups at the suitable temperature range, the fruit juicecups are loaded into one or more cartridges 4. Prior to loading thecartridges with cups, the cartridges have been chilled in a freezer inthe manner described above so that the heat transfer material within thecartridges has achieved a desired temperature (i.e., the heat transfermaterial is “charged”) and is ready for effectively chilling the fruitbeverage.

The unique design of the units 2 described above facilitates thetransformation of the fruit juice into a slush beverage product having adesirable partially frozen state in a period of about 1-2 hours. Thus,the foodservice employee loads the cartridges 4 with the pre-chilledfruit juice cups and places the cartridges into the outer insulatingcases 30, and optionally stacks the cases, in the manner described aboveat a suitable time period (e.g., at least about 1 hour) prior to thefirst lunch hour or other foodservice function. After the slush beverageproduct is formed within the cartridges, the units maintain the slushbeverage product in the cup wells at a suitable temperature and in adesirable partially.frozen state for an extended time period (e.g., fora period of up to about 4 hours or more).

As noted above, the cartridge of the unit can include an insulatingsection (preferably a closed cell foam material) with a heat transfermaterial (preferably a gel material with a selected phase changetemperature). Alternatively, the cartridge may include no insulatingsection, such that the cartridge can be filled partially or entirelywith heat transfer material. Further still, in embodiments where it isdesirable to insulate a food or beverage item without the feature ofproviding significant heat transfer between the cartridge and the foodor beverage item, the cartridge can be provided with no heat transfermaterial, such that the internal cartridge volume is partially orentirely filled with the insulation section.

In another embodiment of the present invention, a portable thermaltreatment and storage unit includes one or more vents or ports on theunit that are selectively opened or closed to facilitate a controlledflow of air through the unit to thermally treat food or beverageproducts loaded within the unit. For example, this unique design for theunit facilitates warming and at least partial thawing of frozen orpartially frozen beverage products that have been loaded into the unitand warmed to achieve a desirable partially frozen slush beverage stateby permitting selective airflow through the unit. After a select timeperiod, the ports of the units can be closed such that the unitinsulates and maintains the slush beverage products in their partiallyfrozen state for a selected time period. This unit is particularlyuseful for converting frozen food or beverage items into partiallyfrozen products, such as slush beverage products and partially frozendairy products (e.g., hard or soft ice cream, milk shakes, etc.).However, the unit is not limited to treating these types of items, butrather can also be used to thermally treat a wide variety of other foodor beverage items including, without limitation: frozen yogurt, sherbet,ice milk, jellos, puddings and fruit cups; partially frozen, frozen orliquid juices, including juices packaged in cups and flexible pouches;fruit-flavored confections commonly referred to as “Italian Ice;” andpopsicles, as well as other formed and shaped confections, includingsherbet and frozen juice products packaged in tetrahedron shapedpackets.

An exemplary embodiment of such a thermal treatment and storage unit isdepicted in FIGS. 7-11. In particular, unit 100 includes a hollow andgenerally rectangular housing 102 including an open top end, first andsecond opposing side walls 103, 104, third and fourth opposing sidewalls 105, 106 and a bottom wall 107 that define a chamber 108 withinthe housing. The first and second opposing side walls 103, 104 have alarger lengthwise dimension than the third and fourth opposing sidewalls 105, 106, and the unit is designed such that the third side wall105 forms a front end of the unit while the fourth side wall 106 forms arear end of the unit. While the housing depicted in the figures isgenerally rectangular, it is noted that the invention is not limited tosuch a geometric configuration but rather can include any other suitableconfigurations including, without limitation, square, round, oval,eccentric, multi-faceted, etc.

The housing as well as other portions of the unit 100 can be constructedof any one or more types of materials that are suitable for being usedand re-used in multiple applications for thermally treating food orbeverage items, where the materials preferably have suitable insulatingproperties, are lightweight, durable, easily cleanable, and are moistureresistant or non-absorbent so as to not degrade upon contact with wateror other liquids. For example, the housing and other portions of theunit can be constructed of a cardboard material that is covered orcoated with a non-absorbent or moisture resistant coating (e.g., apolymethyl methacrylate coating such as the type commercially availableunder the trademark LEXAN, or a polyester film such as the typecommercially available under the trademark MYLAR). Alternatively, thehousing and other portions of the unit can be constructed of any one ormore suitable polymer or plastic materials including, withoutlimitation, polyethylene, polypropylene, and high impact styrenematerials such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS).

In addition, the outer surfaces of the housing side walls can be coatedwith a reflective and/or electrostatically applied metallic substance(e.g., a reflective paint or a thin strip or sheet of metal) so as toimpart a mirror-like finish to the outer surfaces so as to minimize heatgain via radiant heat within the outer insulating case compartment. Themirror-like finish also provides a modern and aesthetically pleasingappearance to consumers. The outer side walls of the housing can furtherinclude any suitable indicia that contain descriptive information of thefood or beverage product within the unit and/or other aesthetic imagesor features that are pleasing to consumers in a foodservice environment.

The first and second side walls 103, 104 of the housing 102 furtherinclude a series of cut-out sections that form vents or ports whichprovide a flow path for air between the housing chamber 108 and thesurrounding environment in which the unit is placed. As described below,these ports can be selectively opened and closed to facilitate airflowthrough the housing. Referring to FIG. 7, each of the first and secondside walls 103, 104 includes three cut-out sections or ports 110 thatare generally evenly spaced from each other along a lower surface of theside wall (e.g., within about one inch or about 2.54 cm from the bottomend of each side wall). The ports have a generally rectangularconfiguration and they also have similar dimensions. However, it isnoted that the dimensions and geometric configurations of any two ormore ports can differ. Further, it is noted that the first and secondside walls can include any suitable number of vents or ports (e.g., oneor more), and the unit can also be designed such that any side walls(e.g., first, second third, fourth and/or bottom side walls) can includevents or ports to facilitate flow of air through the housing in themanner described below.

The unit 100 includes a cup holder 125 that is securable within thehousing chamber 108 by insertion at the top end of housing 102 to sealthe housing chamber and support cups at a top wall 126 of the cupholder. The cup holder 125 includes opposing first and second side walls128, 129 and opposing third and fourth side walls 130, 131 that extendfrom the top surface 126. The top wall 126, and side walls 128-131 aresuitably dimensioned such that, upon full insertion of the cup holder125 within the housing chamber 108, the first and second side walls128,129 of the cup holder correspond and engage with the first andsecond side walls 103, 104 of the housing, while the third and fourthside walls 130, 131 of the cup holder correspond and engage with thethird and fourth side walls 105, 106 of the housing.

When the cup holder is fully inserted and assembled within the housingchamber 108, the ends of the side walls 128-131 of the cup holder engagewith the bottom end 107 of the housing and the top wall 126 closes thehousing chamber and is generally flush with the top end of the housing.The first and second side walls 128, 129 of the cup holder furtherinclude three cut-out sections or ports 132 that are aligned andcorrespond with the ports 110 of the housing when the cup holder isassembled within the housing so as to provide an airflow path betweenthe housing chamber 108 and the surrounding environment when the cupholder is fully assembled within the housing chamber.

The side walls of the cup holder combine with the side walls of thehousing to provide a double side wall configuration for the unit whenthe cup holder is assembled within the housing. This double side wallconfiguration increases the side wall material thickness and enhancesthe insulation for the unit to prevent or substantially minimize heattransfer between the housing chamber and the environment surrounding theunit. However, it is noted that, rather than providing side walls forthe cup holder that fit within and correspond with the side walls of thehousing, the cup holder can alternatively be configured as a cover withside walls that fit around the top end of the housing. Further, the cupholder can be formed as an integral or attached part of the housing(e.g., as a top wall of the housing).

The top wall 126 of the cup holder 125 includes a series of generallycircular openings 134 that extend through the top wall to facilitatecommunication with the housing chamber 108. In addition, a generallyrectangular insert 136 is secured to an underside surface of the cupholder top wall 125 (e.g., via an adhesive), and the insert includesopenings 138 that extend through the insert and correspond with theopenings 134 of the top wall to permit access to the housing chamber 108when the cup holder is assembled with the housing. The insert ispreferably constructed of a suitable insulation material to effectivelyprevent or substantially limit heat transfer through such material. Forexample, the insert can be constructed of a suitable closed cell foammaterial (e.g., a closed cell polyethylene material) and/or any othersuitable lightweight insulating polymers or plastic materials. Theinsulating insert can have a thickness in the range of about 0.5 inch(1.27 cm) to about 1.5 inches (3.81 cm). Preferably, the insulatinginsert has a thickness of about 1 inch (2.54 cm).

Referring to FIGS. 10 and 11, the cup holder top wall and insertopenings 134 and 138 are arranged in generally linear rows and columnsalong the top wall 126. The top wall openings are further suitablydimensioned to receive and retain a food or beverage cup of any selectedsize (e.g., 5 or 10 ounce cups), such as a cup 150 with a slightlytapered cylindrical or frustum-like configuration as depicted in FIG. 11(where the cup diameter decreases from the top to the bottom of the cup)and that is slightly tapered in diameter from a top surface to a bottomsurface of the beverage cup. In particular, each opening 134, 138 issuitably dimensioned to receive a substantial portion of a cup 150(i.e., a majority of the volume of the cup) within the housing chamber108, while the cup holder top wall 126 supports the cup at an upperportion of the cup such that a cup lid 152 remains exposed outside ofthe housing chamber. The openings can be arranged in any selectedpattern along the top wall of the cup holder. In addition, while theunit 100 of FIGS. 7-11 is depicted with twelve openings to receive andretain twelve cups of food or beverage product, it is noted that theunit can include any selected number of openings to facilitate thermaltreatment of the same number of cups for a particular application.

Each of the top wall and insulating insert further includes cut-outgroove sections 140, 142 that extend through the top wall and insert soas to provide an airflow path between the housing chamber 108 and theenvironment surrounding the unit. The groove sections 140, 142 extend ina radial direction from the openings 134, 138, with each openingincluding four groove sections spaced at generally equal angularlyspaced distances (i.e., about 90°) from each other so as to form an “X”configuration around the opening. However, it is noted that the unit canbe designed with openings including any selected number of groovesections (e.g., one or more) that are at any selected angular spacedorientations with respect to each other.

As in the previous embodiment described above and depicted in FIGS. 1-5,the groove sections 140, 142 facilitate easy removal of a cup from theunit 100 by a user without unseating the cup lid. In particular, theuser can insert a thumb and forefinger into a pair of diametricallyopposed groove sections 140, 142 adjacent a particular opening 134, 138to facilitate easy removal of the cup disposed within the cup holder125. The multiple groove sections further facilitate easy access andremoval of the cup from the cup holder by the user using a left or righthand. Further, the groove sections 140, 142 provide a vent or port forfacilitating airflow through the housing during use of the unit in themanner described below.

The unit 100 further includes a generally rectangular movable member 115that is suitably dimensioned to be received within chamber housing 108so as to engage with the bottom wall 107 of the housing. The movablemember 115 has a lengthwise dimension that is smaller than thelengthwise dimension of the housing such that, upon placement of themovable member within the housing chamber 108, the movable member ismovable by sliding along an interior surface of the bottom wall 107 in alengthwise direction toward and away from each of the third side wall105 (or front end) and the fourth side wall 106 (or rear end) of thehousing. In addition, the width dimension of the movable member 115(i.e., the dimension that is transverse its lengthwise dimension) isslightly smaller than the width dimensions of the housing and the cupholder (i.e., the dimension between first and second side walls 103, 104of the housing and the first and second side walls 128, 129 of the cupholder) such that side wall portions of the movable member engage andslide along the corresponding interior wall surfaces of the first andsecond housing walls 128, 129 of the cup holder assembled within thehousing during sliding movement of the movable member within thehousing.

Preferably, the movable member is constructed of a suitable insulationmaterial to effectively prevent or substantially limit heat transferthrough the movable member. For example, like the insulation insert ofthe cup holder, the movable member can be constructed of a suitableclosed cell foam material (e.g., a closed cell polyethylene material)and/or any other suitable lightweight insulating polymers or plasticmaterials.

The movable member has a sufficient thickness to close or cover theports 110, 132 of the first and second side walls 103, 104, 128, 129 ofboth the housing and the cup holder when the movable member is disposedand oriented in a suitable manner within the housing chamber 108 asdescribed below. For example, the movable member can have a thickness inthe range of about 0.5 inch (1.27 cm) to about 1.5 inches (3.81 cm).Preferably, the movable member has a thickness of about 1 inch (2.54cm). The ports 110 and 132 are also suitably dimensioned and disposedalong lower surface portions of the first and second housing side wallssuch that the ports do not extend above an upper end of the movablemember disposed within the housing.

The housing, movable member and cup holder are further suitablydimensioned to receive any selected number of food or beverage cups ofany selected sizes and volumetric dimensions such that the cups aresupported by the top wall 126 of the cup holder and are furthersuspended within the housing chamber a suitable distance from themovable member 115 as depicted in FIG. 11. For example, the dimensionsof the housing, movable member and cup holder can be selected such thatdistance between the bottom of each cup secured by the cup holder is nogreater than about 1 inch (2.54 cm), preferably no greater than about0.5 inch (1.27 cm), and more preferably no greater than about 0.25 inch(0.635 cm). The distance maintained between each cup and the movablemember provides an air gap within the housing chamber that permits theflow of air around each cup bottom during thermal treatment of thebeverage cups in the manner described below.

The two opposing side walls of the movable member 115 that correspondand engage with the first and second side walls 128, 129 of the cupholder 125 include three cut-out sections 116. The cut-out sections 116are suitably dimensioned and oriented along the movable member sidewalls so as to correspond and align with the ports 110, 132 of thehousing and cup holder when the movable member is positioned within thehousing chamber 108 as depicted in FIG. 8A, where a rear end 1 8 of themovable member is adjacent the fourth side wall 131 (i.e., at thehousing rear end) of the cup holder assembled within the housing. Inthis position, a front end 117 of the movable member is distanced fromthe front end of the housing.

The rear end 1 8 of the movable member 115 includes a tab 120 thatextends at about a central location from this rear end. Tab 120 issuitably dimensioned and aligned with openings 112, 135 disposed at alower location along the fourth or rear end walls 106, 131 of thehousing 102 and the cup holder 125 so as to extend a sufficient distancethrough the openings when the movable member is positioned with its rearend 118 adjacent the interior surface of the fourth side wall 131 of thecup holder. Sliding of the movable member 115 within the housing chamber108 from its orientation as depicted in FIG. 8A to its orientation asdepicted in FIG. 8B is facilitated by an operator grasping and pushingtab 120 into the housing chamber 108 such that the movable member movestoward the housing front end.

When the movable member is fully displaced within the housing chamber(as depicted in FIG. 8B) such that its front end 117 is adjacent theinterior surface of the side wall 130 of the cup holder (i.e., at thehousing front end), the cut-out sections 116 of the movable member areshifted out of alignment with the housing ports 110, 132. In this fullydisplaced configuration, the sidewall surface portions of the movablemember located adjacent the cut-out sections 116 are aligned with andclose or seal the housing ports 110, 134 from airflow communication withthe housing chamber 108. The tab 120 can also be pulled through openings112, 135 and away from the housing front end so as to fully displace themovable member from the position depicted in FIG. 8B back to itsposition in FIG. 8A, where the cut-out sections 116 are once againaligned with ports 110, 132 to facilitate communication of the portswith the housing chamber 108.

The unit 100 described above is effective in thermally treating andstoring food and/or beverage products at desired temperatures and indesired states for extended periods of time (e.g., about 2-4 hours ormore) and without any electrical energy requirements. In addition,unlike the previous embodiment of FIGS. 1-5, this unit does not requireany initial “charging” or thermal treatment prior to being used.

As in the previous embodiment, the components of the unit can besuitably dimensioned to accommodate any suitable number of cups (orother food and/or beverage containers) of any suitable shapes and sizesdepending upon a particular application. For example, the unit can besuitably configured to receive cups in a variety of different sizesincluding, without limitation, 3 ounce cups, 4 ounce cups, 5 ounce cups,6 ounce cups, 8 ounce cups, 10 ounce cups, 11 ounce cups, and 12 ouncecups. Exemplary units for slush beverage products or partially frozendairy products (e.g., soft serve ice cream, milk shakes, etc.) aredesigned to thermally treat 5 once and 10 ounce cups of product.

An exemplary method for using the unit 100 of FIGS. 7-11 is describedbelow. In this method, a food or beverage product is initially frozenprior to being loaded within the unit, and then the food or beverageproduct is at least partially thawed for a selected period of time byopening the ports (by manipulating the movable member) disposed at thelower level of the housing and cup holder to facilitate the flow of aircurrents from the ambient environment through the housing. After aselect time period in which the frozen food or beverage is converted toa partially frozen food or beverage product having a desired partiallyfrozen consistency, the ports are closed (by manipulating the movablemember) to prevent or substantially limit airflow through the housing.The unit then maintains the beverage product at a desired temperatureand the desired and aesthetically pleasing partially frozen consistencyfor a select period of time.

The frozen food or beverage product can be any selected type of productincluding, without limitation, juice beverages and dairy products (e.g.,hard or soft ice cream, milk shakes, etc.). The frozen product canfurther include alcohol and/or any other selected flavor enhancingadditives. The frozen product is also preferably formed from a liquid,semi-liquid or gel product that includes one or more suitablestabilizers and/or nucleating agents such as the types noted above(e.g., any one or combination of pectin, xantham gum, locust bean gum,guar gum, cellulose gum or gel, carrageenan, and/or any otherconventional food grade and/or GRAS stabilizers and gums) in anysuitable weight percentage ratios depending upon a particularapplication, where the stabilizers and/or nucleating agents limit theformation and size of ice crystals so as to achieve a desired partiallyor semi-frozen consistency that provides a desirable look, feel andtexture to consumers of the product.

The frozen food or beverage product can be prepared in the followingmanner prior to being thermally treated by the unit 100. The product isinitially rapidly frozen in a continuous or batch type freezingapparatus, such as a batch or continuous freezer that is conventionallyused in freezing dairy products (e.g., ice cream products). The use ofsuch a rapid freezing process and associated batch or continuousequipment, together with the use of appropriate stabilizers and/ornucleating agents in the product, ensures the formation of small icecrystals and inhibits the growth of larger ice crystals in the frozenbeverage product, while allowing the incorporation of air into theproduct, through rapid whipping, to whatever level of “overrun” is bestsuited to the product being produced. Preferably, the “fill level” ofthe product packaged at the factory is such that, if packaged in cups,no product is in contact with the lid of the cups. This intentionalunderfill (which is a departure from conventional practice but isacceptable provided the appropriate declarations as to contents are madeon the package label), creates a thin gap or layer of air between theuppermost surface of the product within the cup and the underside of thelid.

This gap or layer of air provided within a sealed cup including the foodor beverage product provides effective insulation, when the cup iseventually placed in the unit, against a rapid gain of heat into theproduct resulting from ambient air being in contact with the lid whichis in turn in direct contact with the uppermost surface of the productin the cup. Such heat gain would result in an undesirable rapid meltingof the uppermost surface of the product. The presence of an air gapfurthers a uniform tempering of the entire product within the cup.Preferably, the air gap within each sealed cup has a thickness in therange from about 0.25 (0.635 cm) inch to about 0.5 inch (1.27 cm), mostpreferably about 0.375 inch (0.953 cm).

Once packaged at the factory, the product is frozen to a temperature offrom about 10° F. (−12.2° C.) to about −40° F. (−40° C.). For example,for juices used to form slush beverage products, the beverage product ispreferably initially frozen to a temperature of from about 10° F.(−12.2° C.) to about 0° F. (−17.8° C.), whereas dairy products (e.g.,ice creams, milk shakes, etc.) that are used to form soft servepartially frozen products are preferably initially frozen to atemperature of from about −30° F. (−34.4° C.) to about −40° F. (−40°C.). The packaged frozen product (e.g., frozen product in enclosed cupswith covers or lids) is distributed in the frozen state and at suchfrozen temperatures from a manufacture location to an on-site locationfor use of the product and is further maintained at such frozen stateand frozen temperatures prior to loading within the unit 100.The unit100 is easily assembled by insertion of movable member 115 within thehousing chamber 108 such that tab 120 extends through opening 112. Theside walls 128, 129, 130, 131 of the cup holder 125 are then insertedwithin the housing chamber 108, with the first and second side walls128, 129 fitting between the first and second side walls 103, 104 of thehousing 102 and the corresponding side wall sections of the movablemember 115 and the opening 135 on the rear end wall 131 of the cupholder fitting over movable member tab 120.

Cups 150 of the frozen food or beverage product, which have been frozenand stored in the manner described above, are loaded into the unit byplacing the cups through the openings 134, 138 of the cup holder 125such that a top portion of the cups (including cup lids 152) are held bythe top wall 136 and are further suspended a selected distance (e.g.,about −0.25 inch or greater, see FIG. 11) from the movable member 115.The operator of the unit ensures that the ports 110, 132 of the unit areopen by pulling tab 120 such that the movable member is completelydisplaced toward the housing rear end (as depicted in FIGS. 8A and 9A).In this open port position, convective air flow currents are enabledthrough the housing (e.g., as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 9A). Inparticular, air that is at a higher temperature than the frozen productin the cups flows into the housing chamber 108 (e.g., via the groovesections 140, 142 as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 9A) and around thecups 150 (including the bottom surfaces of the cups), and then out ofthe housing (e.g., via ports 110, 132 as indicated by the arrows in FIG.9A). The air that flows through the housing can be at ambient or roomtemperature, e.g., at a temperature within the range of about 68° F.(20° C.) to about 85° F. (29° C.). However, it is noted that thetemperature of the air flowing through the unit can be higher or lowerthan this temperature range depending upon a particular application.

The configuration and design of unit 100 facilitates an effective andcontrolled warming or thawing of the frozen product in a substantiallyuniform manner about the cups by the warmer convective air currentsflowing through the housing chamber so as to convert the frozen productinto a desirable partially frozen product over a selected time period.For example, a frozen juice product can be converted to a partiallyfrozen slush beverage product utilizing unit 100, where the slushbeverage product has the same partially frozen consistency as if theslush product were produced by a conventional slush machine. Inaddition, a frozen dairy (e.g., ice cream or frozen milkshake) productcan be converted to a partially frozen product having a desirable andaesthetically pleasing semi-frozen milkshake or soft serve feel andtexture using unit 100.

An exemplary time period for converting the frozen product into adesirable partially frozen product for serving to consumers is no morethan about 3 hours (e.g., 2 hours or less). This partial thawing orwarming time period can vary based upon a particular application and thetype of food or beverage product being thermally treated. For example,at the end of the warming time period, a frozen fruit beverage productcan be converted from its frozen state in the temperature range fromabout 10° F. (−12.2° C.) to about 0° F. (−17.8° C.) to a partiallyfrozen slush beverage product at a temperature from about 20° F. (−6.7°C.) to about 27° F. (about −2.8° C.).

Once the frozen product has sufficiently thawed in a controlled mannerto form a partially frozen product within the unit 100, the operatorcloses ports 110, 132 by pushing tab 120 so as to move the movablemember 115 toward the housing front end until the front end 117 isadjacent the interior surface of the side wall 130 of the cup holder (asdepicted in FIGS. 8B and 9B). The closure of ports 110, 132 effectivelysubstantially limits or prevents convective air flow currents throughthe housing 102. In this mode of operation, the unit 100 effectivelyinsulates and maintains the partially frozen food or beverage product ata desired temperature or within a desired temperature range. Forexample, for slush beverage products, the product temperature can bemaintained at about 20° F. (−6.7° C.) to about 25° F. (−2.8° C.) for aperiod of at least about 2 hours, where the slush beverage productexhibits only a slight increase in temperature of about 1.5° F. −2° F.(0.83° C. −1.1° C.) over such time period. Thus, the slush beverageproducts can be maintained within a temperature range of about 20° F. toabout 27° F. during the storage period of at least about two hourswithin the unit.

The partially frozen product is ready for consumption by a consumerafter the ports have been closed. The consumer simply removes a cup 150from a cup holder opening 134 (e.g., by inserting a thumb and forefingerinto grooves 140). In certain embodiments, instructions may be providedon the cup that the user slightly displace or shake the contents in thecup prior to serving.

The insulating properties of the unit 100 effectively control theproduct temperature as does the cooled air that remains within the unit.In particular, when the ports are open to facilitate a convective flowof air through the housing which warms and partially thaws the frozenproduct, the temperature within the chamber due to heat transfer betweenthe flowing air and the frozen product can achieve a temperature in therange of about 38° F. (3.3° C.) to about 50° F. (10° C.), and morepreferably no greater than about 40° F. (4.4° C.). When the ports areclosed so as to prevent or substantially limit airflow through thehousing, the stagnant air that remains within the housing chamber canfurther cool (due to heat transfer with the partially frozen product) toabout 38° F. (3.3° C.) or less, shortly after closing the ports.Thereafter, the temperature of the air within the housing chamber willgradually rise as cups are removed by consumers. This stagnant airwithin the housing chamber further enhances the insulating effect of theunit so as to minimize or substantially prevent heat transfer betweenthe partially frozen product and the ambient environment surrounding theunit for a select time period (e.g., at least about 2 hours).

The unit can further be designed to include operating instructions atthe housing rear end (i.e., side wall 106) to advise the operator toinitially open the ports (by pulling tab 120) after loading the productinto the unit and to maintain the ports in the open position for aselected period of time (e.g., about 2 hours) to achieve an effectivewarming and thawing of the frozen product, and after such time theproduct is ready for consumption (e.g., in a school cafeteriaenvironment). After the warming period, the instructions can advise theoperator to close the ports (by pushing tab 120) to switch the unit intoan insulating and storage mode for maintaining the partially frozenproduct at a desired temperature and consistency that is desirable forconsumption. In addition, the unit can include an electronic timer witha suitable audio and/or visual indicator (e.g., an LED display) toindicate when the warming time period has expired and the operatorshould close the ports.

When the unit is no longer being used and is taken out of service, theunit can be disassembled and the components can be cleaned. The unit canthen be brought back into service and re-used for any selected number offood service operations, without any electrical energy requirements orthe requirement of thermally treating any portions of the unit prior tobeing used.

The thermal treatment unit described in FIGS. 7-11 can be modified inany suitable manner to achieve the same warming/thawing and insulationmodes of operation as described above. For example, any one or moreports can be disposed at any one or more selected locations anywherealong the housing (e.g., top, bottom and/or mid portions of the housing)to facilitate convective air flow through the housing chamber. In oneexemplary embodiment, one or more ports can be disposed along the bottomwall of the housing and the unit can be raised above a supportingsurface to facilitate opening of the ports for air flow through thehousing. Closing of the ports can be achieved by simply placing the uniton a supporting surface so as to seal the ports from the ambient airsurrounding the unit.

In addition, the unit can be designed such that the ports can beselectively opened or closed in any suitable manner. For example, ratherthan utilizing a tab that extends through a rear housing end wall tomove the movable member as depicted in the embodiment of FIGS. 7-11, anelongated opening can be provided along the housing bottom wall, and themovable member can include a corresponding finger engaging groove tofacilitate movement of the movable member toward the front and rear endsof the housing to facilitate opening and closing of the ports as in theembodiment described above.

Alternatively, rather than providing a movable member as described inthe embodiment above, the ports can be provided with access doors thatare movable in any suitable manner (e.g., via hinges, a sliding door orother mechanism, etc.) to selectively open and close the ports duringoperation of the unit. Thus, the invention encompasses any suitablemechanism or structure that facilitates selective opening of vents orports within a thermal treatment unit to permit warming and thawing ofthe frozen product via convective air flow through the unit housing andalso selective closing of the vents or ports to limit or prevent airflow through the unit housing while insulating and maintaining theproduct at a desired temperature.

The thermal treatment unit described above and depicted in FIGS. 7-11can further be designed to be stackable in a similar manner as the unitdescribed above and depicted in FIGS. 1-6. The stackable featurefacilitates the placement of a large quantity or volume of food andbeverage product at a particular point-of-sale location while minimizingfloor space required for displaying such product.

In addition, the thermal treatment unit of FIGS. 7-11 can include acover or lid of similar design to the lid described in the embodiment ofFIGS. 1-6. The cover can be designed to fit over the cup holder of theunit and include one or more openings aligned and in communication withone or more of the finger engaging groove sections of the cup holder soas to facilitate flow of air through the cover and the unit when thevents or ports of the housing are open.

The unique designs and configurations of the different embodiments ofportable thermal treatment and storage units and corresponding methodsof the present invention facilitate effective thermal treatment of foodor beverage products that are placed within such units, where theproducts are maintained at desired temperatures and at partially frozenstates for extended periods of time (e.g., at least about 2 hours and/orup to about 6 hours or more). The thermal treatment and storage unitsare capable of providing such effective thermal treatment of the food orbeverage products over the extended time periods without the need forelectrical energy to be provided to the units. In addition, theportability and stackable features of the units renders the units easilyadaptable for moving to different locations and arrangements in apoint-of-sale foodservice environment, such as a school lunch cafeteria.

The unique unit designs provide the further advantages of rendering thecups of food or beverage product available to the consumer on aself-service basis, making it unnecessary for a foodservice worker to bepresent at the point of service for the purpose of dispensing andhanding out cups of product (e.g., a slush beverage) from a machine.This feature of the present invention is particularly advantageous inthe context of a high volume foodservice with a large number ofconsumers passing through in a short period of time, such as a schoolcafeteria. The self service feature makes it possible for even youngschool children to take the product themselves on a “grab 'n go” basis,whereas they would typically not be permitted to operate a dispensingmachine (e.g., a slush machine) on a self-service basis. Thus, thepresent invention provides substantial labor savings in the context ofschool cafeteria operations.

In addition, the portable thermal treatment and storage units of thepresent invention facilitate the formation of a slush beverage productor other partially frozen food or beverage product from a liquid (e.g.,as in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-5) or, alternatively, from a completelyfrozen product (e.g., as in the embodiment of FIGS. 7-11), thuseliminating the need for expensive slush machines (or other types ofprocessing equipment) altogether.

The portable thermal treatment and storage units of the presentinvention can be used in a variety of different foodservice applicationsincluding, without limitation, foodservice sites operated withinschools, colleges, office buildings, government buildings, conventioncenters, military feeding sites, stadiums, movie theaters, cruise ships,cocktail bars, casinos, amusement parks, catered events, buffets, countyfairs, and the like.

While the portable thermal treatment and storage units and the methodsof using such units of the present invention are very effective inovercoming problems encountered by school cafeterias and otherpoint-of-sale foodservice operations that require high-volumeavailability of food items that are maintained at certain chilledtemperature, the units are also effective for foodservice operationsthat do not experience high volume. For example, the ability to provideslush beverage products or other partially frozen food or beverageproducts (e.g., soft serve ice cream or milk shake products) at multiplelocations, which is facilitated by the units of the present invention,can also be useful in low volume operations.

Having described preferred embodiments of portable thermal treatment andstorage units for containing readily accessible food and beverage items,and corresponding methods for using such units, it is believed thatother modifications, variations and changes will be suggested to thoseskilled in the art in view of the teachings set forth herein. It istherefore to be understood that all such variations, modifications andchanges are believed to fall within the scope of the present inventionas defined by the appended claims. Although specific terms are employedherein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and notfor purposes of limitation.

1. A portable thermal treatment and storage unit comprising: a housingincluding a thermal treatment chamber; a support member secured to thehousing and including a plurality of openings to receive and supportfood or beverage items such that a substantial portion of each of thefood or beverage items is disposed within the housing chamber; and aplurality of ports disposed on at least one of the housing and supportmember, the ports providing a flow path between the chamber and anenvironment surrounding the unit to facilitate a flow of air into thehousing, through the chamber, and out of the housing; wherein the unitis insulated and configured to selectively open and close at least oneport to limit or prevent the flow of air into the housing and throughthe chamber such that, when the at least one port is opened, the unitfacilitates heat transfer between the flowing air and the food orbeverage items supported by the support member so as to change thetemperature of the food or beverage items and, when the at least oneport is closed, the unit insulates the food or beverage items tomaintain the food or beverage items within a selected temperature rangefor a selected time period.
 2. The unit of claim 1, wherein at least oneport is disposed on the support member and at least one port is disposedon the housing.
 3. The unit of claim 2, wherein some of the ports aredefined on the support member as grooves that extend from the openingsof the support member so as to provide an airflow path between thechamber and the surrounding environment when food or beverage items areplaced within the openings of the support member.
 4. The unit of claim2, further comprising: a movable member disposed within the housing,wherein the movable member is selectively movable from a first positionwithin the housing where the at least one port is open to a secondposition within the housing where the at least one port is closed. 5.The unit of claim 4, wherein the movable member includes a tab thatextends through the housing to facilitate movement of the movable memberbetween the first and second positions.
 6. The unit of claim 4, whereinthe movable member comprises a foam insulation material.
 7. The unit ofclaim 4, wherein the movable member is disposed adjacent a bottom wallof the housing, and the housing, support member and movable member aresuitably dimensioned such that food or beverage items received andsupported by the support member are suspended a selected distance fromthe movable member.
 8. The unit of claim 1, wherein the support memberis removably secured to the housing and comprises a top wall thatincludes the openings and a plurality of side walls that fit within thechamber of the housing when the support member is secured to thehousing.
 9. The unit of claim 8, wherein the support member furtherincludes a foam insulation section secured to an underside of the topwall.
 10. The unit of claim 1, further comprising: a plurality of cupsconfigured to be received and retained within the openings of thesupport member, wherein each of the cups includes a food or beverageitem disposed within the cups and a removable lid that encloses anopening in the cup, and the food or beverage item fills a selectedportion of the cup while leaving an air gap between an upper portion ofthe food or beverage item disposed within the cup and an underside ofthe lid connected with the cup, the air gap having a thickness ofbetween about 0.25 inch and about 0.5 inch.
 11. A portable thermaltreatment and storage unit comprising: a housing including a thermaltreatment chamber; a means for supporting food or beverage items suchthat a substantial portion of each of the food or beverage items issuspended within the chamber; and a means for selectively opening andclosing an airflow path between the chamber and an environmentsurrounding the unit, wherein opening of the flow path facilitates aflow of air into the housing, through the chamber, and out of thehousing and a heat transfer between flowing air and the food or beverageitems suspended within the chamber so as to change the temperature ofthe food or beverage items suspended within the chamber; wherein theunit is suitably insulated such that, upon closing the airflow pathafter the food or beverage items to change the temperature of the foodor beverage items, the unit maintains the food or beverage items withina selected temperature range for a selected time period.
 12. A method ofthermally treating food or beverage items, the method comprising:loading frozen food or beverage items in a unit such that a majority ofeach food or beverage item is disposed within a chamber of the unit;thermally treating the frozen food or beverage items by facilitating aflow of air from an environment surrounding the unit through the unitchamber, wherein the air is at a higher temperature than the frozen foodor beverage items such that the frozen food or beverage items are warmedover a selected warming time period to form partially frozen food orbeverage items at a selected temperature range that is higher than thetemperature of the frozen food or beverage items; and upon achieving theselected temperature range for the partially frozen food or beverageitems, limiting or preventing the flow of air through the unit chamberso as to maintain the partially frozen food or beverage items within theselected temperature range for a selected storage time period.
 13. Themethod of claim 12, wherein the partially frozen food or beverage itemscomprises one of a slush beverage product and a partially frozen dairyproduct.
 14. The method of claim 12, wherein the partially frozen foodor beverage item comprises a slush beverage product including at leastone fruit juice and at least one of a nucleating agent, pectin,carrageenan, cellulose gum, cellulose gel, xantham gum, locust bean gumand guar gum.
 15. The method of claim 13, wherein the frozen food orbeverage items have a temperature within the range of about 10° F. toabout −40° F. when the food or beverage items are loaded within theunit.
 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the partially frozen food orbeverage item comprises a slush beverage product that is maintainedwithin a temperature range of about 20° F. to about 27° F. during theselected storage time period.
 17. The method of claim 16, wherein theair flowing from the environment surrounding the unit is at atemperature within a range of about 68° F. to about 85° F., and thetemperature of air remaining in the unit chamber after the flow of airthrough the unit chamber achieves a temperature within a range of about38° F. or less.
 18. The method of claim 12, wherein: the unit comprisesa housing that includes the chamber, a support member secured to thehousing that supports the substantial portion of each of the food orbeverage items within the chamber, and a plurality of ports disposed onat least one of the housing and support member, the ports providing aflow path between the chamber and the environment surrounding the unitto facilitate the flow of air into the housing, through the chamber, andout of the housing; and the flow of air through the chamber is limitedor prevented by closing at least one of the plurality of ports.
 19. Themethod of claim 18, wherein the unit further comprises a movable memberdisposed within the housing chamber, and the closing of the at least oneport includes moving the movable member from a first position to asecond position within the housing.
 20. The method of claim 19, whereinthe support member includes openings configured to receive and retainthe food or beverage items loaded in the unit, and some of the ports aredefined on the support member as grooves that extend from the openingsof the support member so as to provide an airflow path between thechamber and the surrounding environment when the food or beverage itemsare placed within the openings of the support member.
 21. The method ofclaim 19, wherein the movable member includes a tab that extends throughthe housing to facilitate movement of the movable member between thefirst and second positions.
 22. The method of claim 19, wherein themovable member comprises a foam insulation material.
 23. The method ofclaim 19, wherein the movable member is disposed adjacent a bottom wallof the housing, and the housing, support member and movable member aresuitably dimensioned such that food or beverage items loaded into theunit are suspended a selected distance from the movable member.
 24. Themethod of claim 12, wherein the warming time period is no greater thanabout 3 hours.
 25. The method of claim 12, wherein the storage timeperiod is at least about 1 hour.
 26. The method of claim 12, wherein thefood or beverage items are disposed within a plurality of cups that areloaded within the unit such that a majority of each cup is disposedwithin the chamber, each cup includes a removable lid that encloses anopening in the cup, and the food or beverage item fills a selectedportion of the cup while leaving an air gap between an upper portion ofthe food or beverage item disposed within the cup and an underside ofthe lid connected with the cup, the air gap having a thickness ofbetween about 0.25 inch and about 0.5 inch.